SMILE AND SAY THANKS till 25 August

Edinburgh 2007 Fringe.

Smile And Say Thanks
by Cat Eason, Chris Hall, David G Lees and Harry Wilson.

Bedlam Theatre, 11b Bristo Place.
To 25 August 2007.
Mon - Sat. 10:00.
Runs 50mins. No interval.

TICKETS. 0131 225 9893 or Fringe BO 0131 226 0000.
Review Thelma Good 21 August 2007.

Conceit of being on stage.

The first thing we see is the Stage Manager, trouble is the rest of the crew are enjoying plunging her into the dark. In this show the conceit of being on stage gives rise to some of its comic side.

The intro leads us into the piece which has several strands, the wee man and several different depictions of love including a modern version of Brief Encounter. The five young actors serve their material well, bring the pain, misunderstanding and different perceptions of a relationship to their characters’ stories, and to the wee man who had his head removed, with the stills of his story projected onto the sheet screen.

The strands never weave into a narrative whole, but do provide some laughs and gentleness along the way. The lack of an overall narrative may not trouble all. But others will wish this group, who work well together, had pushed their creative urges a bit more so that Smile and Say Thanks became more of a play and less of a soft pedal sketch show.

Company: Student Theatre At Glasgow ( Scotland ).

2007-08-23 14:14:51